Lyte, a U.S.-based physical AI perception infrastructure startup, has raised $165 million in a Series C funding round, valuing the company at $1.6 billion post-money, the company said. The round was led by Maverick Silicon, with participation from existing investors including Fidelity Management & Research, Atreides Management, Key1 Capital, and Ora Global. Proceeds will be used to boost sensor chip production, scale its LyteVision integrated perception platform, and expand its workforce.
Founded in 2021, Lyte emerged from stealth in January this year and had previously raised approximately $107 million. The company develops chips, multimodal sensors, and spatial perception software to help robots navigate environments more safely. Its flagship unified spatial intelligence platform, LyteGalaxy, integrates sensors, compute, software, and algorithms into a complete perception stack. At its core, LyteVision is a vertically integrated perception module combining cameras, inertial motion sensors, and 4D sensors, fusing positional and visual data to create what the company describes as a “visual brain” for robots. Lyte claims its plug-and-play solution delivers both high-speed response and safety.
The founding team brings deep Apple pedigree. Chief executive Alexander Shpunt previously served as a director and distinguished engineer at Apple, having joined through the acquisition of PrimeSense, which he co-founded and led as CTO. Chief technology officer Arman Hajati, a MIT Ph.D. with over 100 granted and pending patents, led architecture for multiple generations of iPhone and Apple Watch at Apple. Engineering vice president Yuval Gerson also held roles at Apple, PrimeSense, and Rafael. The three co-founders worked together at Apple on depth-sensing and visual perception technologies, including Face ID.
Shpunt said the goal is to enable robots that are safe, fast, and environmentally aware, by processing real-world perception data into actionable inputs for robotic decision-making. The company said its technology has already been deployed in humanoids and mobile robots across various form factors.
